How to Repair Chips on Mahogany Wood

Repair chips in mahogany using ordinary supplies.

Mahogany is one of the softer hardwoods. It's less dense than oak or ash but harder than walnut or alder. The tight, straight grain pattern of mahogany actually helps to repel chips. Unfortunately, if the grain pattern curves at any point, chipping can be a problem. Also known as honeycomb or feathering, small chips can lift from the grain when the pattern angles and or turns perpendicular to the grain. It might happen during milling, when planers dimension the wood, during finishing or even if you slide something over the surface, hooking the grain and lifting it, causing it to chip.

Unfinished Business

1

Install 100-grit paper on a hand-sanding block if the chip is on unfinished wood. Place the sanding block over the chip. Sand back and forth parallel with the grain using a moderate amount of force.

2

Sand over the chip at least 6 inches in both directions, back and forth, keeping the sanding block parallel with the grain.

3

Move the sanding block to the left or right. Sand back and forth, overlapping the first pattern by 1 inch. Move the block to the opposite side and repeat sanding an overlapping pattern on this side.

4

Brush the dust away from the wood with a small brush. Check your progress. If the chip remains, repeat Steps 1, 2 and 3 until the chip is removed.

5

Sand around the perimeter of the depression, if you've created a dip or depression in the surface, to flatten it so that it's not noticeable. If the chip remains visible after sanding for 10 minutes, apply mahogany wood filler using a putty knife.

6

Force the filler into the chip by flattening and dragging the filler over the chip in a long smear centered over the chip. Allow the putty to dry.

7

Sand over the filled area using short strokes, parallel with the grain until the smear is removed, leaving only the chip with filler.

Finished Business

1

Apply the tip of a color-matched putty crayon to the chip if the wood has been previously finished. Hold the crayon like a pencil and rub it with force over the chip. Create a smear of crayon residue over the chip in a radius that's at least 1/4 inch bigger than the chip on all four sides.

2

Apply the crayon to the chip using a random pattern, moving perpendicular to the grain or, if needed, in circles. Whatever pattern it takes to fill the chip with the crayon residue is fine.

3

Wipe the crayon residue off the wood using a soft, dry cloth. The crayon will remain in the chip. Apply furniture polish to the wood and finish by buffing the mahogany to a shine.

Deep Impact

1

Cut a repair patch using scrap mahogany, if the chip is over 3/16 inch deep, on unfinished wood. Use a chisel to cut off a piece of mahogany slightly larger than the chip. Place it in the chip. Compare the size and shape of the chip to the mahogany patch.

2

Trim the mahogany patch down using a sanding block with 100-grit paper until it protrudes out of the chip no more than 1/16 inch.

3

Apply glue to the chip. Place the patch in the chip, aligning the grain pattern with the pattern on the wood. Place plastic wrap over the chip. Place a scrap block of wood on the chip. Place clamps on the block and tighten to force the chip into the wood. If you can't get clamps on the chip, place heavy objects on the chip. Allow the glue to dry overnight and remove the clamps or objects.

4

Sand the chip flush using 100-grit sandpaper. Apply mahogany wood filler to the chip. When the putty is dry, finish by sanding the area smooth with 100-grit sandpaper or until the residual putty is removed.

Things You Will Need

100-grit sandpaper

Hand-sanding block

Brush

Mahogany wood filler

Putty knife

Putty crayon

Furniture polish

Mahogany scrap

Chisel

Clamps

Tip

If you can see light glue lines after sanding, use a stain-marker to color them.

Warning

Wear eye and breathing protection when working with wood.

About the Author

Specializing in hardwood furniture, trim carpentry, cabinets, home improvement and architectural millwork, Wade Shaddy has worked in homebuilding since 1972. Shaddy has also worked as a newspaper reporter and writer, and as a contributing writer for Bicycling Magazine. Shaddy began publishing in various magazines in 1992, and published a novel, “Dark Canyon,” in 2008.